


on purpose

by lemondaes



Series: dusk till dawn [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Coming of Age, Domestic, Flowers, Fluff, Growing Up, High School, Implied Sexual Content, Jobs, Language of Flowers, Love, M/M, Marks, SeokSoo, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, jeongcheol - Freeform, meanie, minor soonhoon if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-19
Updated: 2018-02-19
Packaged: 2019-03-21 08:44:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13737270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemondaes/pseuds/lemondaes
Summary: jisoo doesn't believe in soulmates. then, he meets seokmin, his soon-to-be best friend.





	on purpose

**Author's Note:**

> edited.

jisoo, from a young age, never believed in soulmates. his mother had told him all these wonderful stories about people falling in love in different bodies as their souls were interlocked. jisoo didn’t doubt how genuine it was; he had seen the marks on his mother and father. they had matching aster flowers, symbolizing love and patience and daintiness. he thought it was rather cute but pointless as there were so many things that could go wrong.

 

then, aged 7, he meets seokmin whilst playing alone in the park. seokmin comes up to him first with a stunning smile and a chubby hand outstretched. seokmin is a whole two years younger than him, but even as children they instantly click. seokmin is a loud child, an infectious happiness surrounding him and he never failed to make jisoo smile. together, they roll around in the mud and build castles out of stray branches and leaves. his childhood is filled with happy memories of them together, getting up to mischief and enjoying themselves. seokmin is a great friend.

 

when jisoo is aged 13, seokmin starts middle school so jisoo isn’t lonely anymore. he had to face school all by himself for two years until his best friend came. it was hard, but he’s so glad he’s got seokmin by his side again. he had made some friends along the way, namely seungcheol, a bright eyed ambitious child, and jeonghan, who was more relaxed and fun. jisoo was grateful to have made other friends, but seungcheol and jeonghan seem to be incredibly close and he isn’t sure he can get in between that. still, they accepted him and together they had lots of fun. now that seokmin’s here, he spends less of his time with them and more of his time with seokmin. he promptly ignores jeonghan’s childish teasing. 

 

at 15, he (and seungcheol and jeonghan) graduate into high school. this is another time he’s left seokmin behind, and although his heart hurts, he’s glad to see seokmin has found some friends. jisoo doesn’t feel resentful that seokmin has mingyu because he’s happy that seokmin had found a friend of his own age. still, their friday night sleepovers don’t stop and they often still go to the park where they first met. they are teenagers now, but that doesn’t affect anything. jisoo is happy in seokmin’s company and together they sort through assignments and survive. their friendship is strong and they won’t break.

 

soon he hits 17 and everything is tilted. all his classmates can talk about are soulmates. he knows he still has one year to be free before a mark appears on him and he’s tied down to finding his soulmate. honestly, he doesn’t care. who needs a soulmate when you can have a best friend? seokmin now joins him in high school (which is a miracle that they both went to the exact same places up until now) and they have a blast. it’s his last year and he’s so excited to be spending it with seokmin. together, they go to parties (but never drink) and stay up late, texting and gossiping. their friend group grows quickly, and jisoo goes from just having seungcheol and jeonghan to meeting jihoon and soonyoung who are a year younger than him, as well as having seokmin and mingyu. he doesn’t think he’s ever been happier.

 

at 18, however, everything begins to go downhill. he goes to university, studying english literature. it’s the hardest thing he’s ever done and he’s grateful to have seokmin by him, cheering him on and staying up to help jisoo study. somehow, seungcheol and jeonghan go to the same university as him and the team never break up. jeonghan majors in natural sciences and seungcheol goes on to study acting. he’s so proud of his friends. seokmin is still studying in high school, sometimes nabbing one of jisoo’s old assignments.

 

the worst thing is, the soulmate mark shows up. it’s on his collarbone, which for one is odd and very rare, and shows a white orchid which apparently symbolizes beauty and elegance. he spends some time reading into the language of flowers and realises orchids in china meant the promise of many children. he sighs, hoping for the best. jisoo is sort of lying when he says he isn’t jealous of seungcheol and jeonghan. from a young age, they had something special and on jeonghan’s birthday, his mark is to be revealed as the exact same as seungcheol’s. they are azaleas and show up on their wrists. jisoo tells them that they represent love and softness but also femininity. jeonghan doesn’t seem to care and sticks his tongue out at jisoo whilst hugging seungcheol. maybe jeonghan’s long hair was meant to be after all.

 

he spends a lot of time in secret trying to find his soulmate, not even confiding in seokmin about it. in fact, since he’s now 20, seokmin graduates and enrolls in a university far far away from jisoo, wanting to pursue his musical dreams. jisoo absolutely does not cry himself to sleep for the first few nights. as he waves goodbye to seokmin, tears streaming down his cheeks and the promise of keeping in touch lingering in the air, he wonders what seokmin’s mark looks like. now that he thinks about it, seokmin is 18 and ought to have something. it’s not important.

 

he enjoys his last year at uni, although he is swamped in exams and papers, and takes on an internship at a large magazine publishing company. it’s what he’s always wanted to do but he feels lonely again that seokmin isn’t by his side. they do keep in touch, but not as often as jisoo would like, and seokmin religiously texts him at least once a week. their schedules do not fit anymore and they rarely have anything to talk about. the childhood spark has now faded.

 

once he’s 22, he gets offered a job at the company. it’s fun and he makes lots of new friends. turns out, jihoon also went to study music and soonyoung had also taken an internship at the magazine company, so he’s happy to have at least one familiar face. they are soulmates though, so it’s not too big of a deal. soonyoung is happy and jisoo is happy for him.

 

there’s still no luck for jisoo, however. he briefly dates a co-worker named wonwoo, who works in the editing department and also hasn’t found his soulmate yet. wonwoo doesn’t seem to mind that their marks are obviously not the same and that’s enough for jisoo. wonwoo is easy to love, all of his quirks and dreams being oddly similar to jisoo, so he isn’t surprised when he finds himself falling. after a few months, they decide to break up and are still on very friendly terms. there’s no animosity and jisoo is glad that was how it ended.

 

he still hasn’t met up with seokmin for nearly three years. their communication is nearly dead and seokmin has become only a memory. jisoo has been too wrapped up in his own life.

 

now that he’s 25, seokmin ought to have graduated already. sometimes jisoo spares him a thought. jihoon returns and soonyoung is brighter, happier and that fills the seokmin sized hole in jisoo’s heart. jihoon reports that he has become a composer and that although seokmin ought to be finished with his studies, he decided to stay over there to chase his dreams even further. jihoon says he wants to become a singer, and he’s working hard. jisoo is not sad or angry, but he feels genuine happiness that his old friend is working so hard to achieve. he’s sure seokmin’s voice is beautiful.

 

seungcheol and jeonghan return, happily married and jisoo gets a shock. his old friends had moved to england for a while so jeonghan could study medicine and seungcheol soon became a c list actor, taking on other jobs to support his boyfriend. they got married and moved back for a job as a doctor that jeonghan was going to take, which was lucky. jisoo admires seungcheol deeply, being such a supportive and loving husband and willing to pack up and move for his other half’s dreams. when confronted about it, seungcheol laughs wistfully and brushes it off, saying that he also achieved his dream on the way.

 

jisoo celebrates his 26th birthday surrounded by all his old friends. mingyu has flown back after becoming a chef and new additions include jun and minghao, who both recently joined the magazine and seungkwan, who is working as a local barista. he only wants one person though and he isn’t present. jihoon tells him that seokmin has made it, releasing two EPs. jihoon gives them to jisoo for his birthday and tells him proudly he helped seokmin composed nearly all of the songs. jisoo falls asleep that day listening to seokmin’s voice.

 

later, jisoo gets a promotion. he works harder than he ever had and soon comes up with enough money to buy tickets to visit seokmin. he turns the thought over and over in his head. will seokmin even remember him? does he want to see him anymore? he briefly talks to jeonghan about it, who is swooning and goading him on, and then talks to jihoon, who can disclose his address but tells jisoo it’s a bad idea. he’s swamped at work, jihoon claims, and jisoo feels disheartened. maybe next time.

 

at 27, he decided, screw it, i’m going. he flies to new york city, as that’s where jihoon said to go, address in hand. however, when he knocks on the door, he gets a nasty shock. there stands a shirtless man, who is pretty good looking, and definitely is not his seokmin. “hi?” jisoo begins unsurely, scanning the man from head to toe. he’s got quite the jawline, broad shoulders and blond tousled hair. 

 

“do i know you?” the stranger said, not noticing that he was still half naked. jisoo felt a pang of jealousy. this couldn’t be why seokmin wasn’t texting anymore, could it? because he had found a new lover and forgot about him? this guy was definitely handsome.

 

“is there a seokmin living here?” jisoo said, almost snapping at the guy. he had a weird feeling about him.

 

“yeah, i’m his flatmate, hansol. he’s not in right now, but you can come in and i’ll explain why?” jisoo felt himself relax. just a flatmate, it’s alright.

 

“i really don’t have time for this; i need to find seokmin,” jisoo said. hansol laughed.

 

“he’s gone to LA. he said he was going to find someone called jisoo hyung.” hansol said. jisoo’s eyes widened. could it be? his seokminnie wants to find him? jisoo let out a short laugh. “what’s so funny?”

 

jisoo smiled. “i am that jisoo hyung. i flew here to find him.” hansol paused, and then laughed as well. “what a coincidence.” 

 

“why don’t you come in and we can talk?” hansol said, pushing the door wider. jisoo stepped in. 

 

“so this is where seokmin has been living? with you?” jisoo said, looking around. the place was messy, clothes strewn everywhere. there was no doubt in his mind that seokmin lived here because he recognised his clothes and also because seokmin was the messiest person ever. 

 

“yep.” 

 

“that’s nice. by the way, you’re still half naked.”

 

“oh.” 

 

so jisoo and hansol have a long chat about seokmin and jisoo decides that he’ll text seokmin and he’ll fly back so they can finally meet. hansol, for some reason, insists on coming with him, claiming that he wanted to see seokmin and it was getting lonely and quiet in the flat without him. jisoo sympathises, because he definitely knows what that feels like.

 

together they board the plane. they had only known each other for three days, but it feels like an eternity. hansol tells jisoo about seokmin’s career and how they met at school (which apparently seokmin aced at -- jisoo’s never felt prouder) and jisoo tells him about their childhood together. 

 

once he arrives back, he feels jittery. after seven years or so, he’s going to meet his childhood best friend again. he hopes seokmin hasn’t changed, but from hansol’s descriptions, he seemed to be the same seokmin that jisoo was drawn to in the first place. he had texted seokmin before, just to say that he needed to stay in LA and wait for him. jisoo can’t help but be nervous. it’s finally happening.

 

unfortunately, when jisoo arrives and texts seokmin, it turns out seokmin is so busy and their schedules, again, can never meet up. he says he’s running around for the whole week, but there’s a concert he’s holding in LA with the help of jihoon and jisoo can pop by. jisoo’s not sure if he’s ready to see seokmin again so he’s glad for the extra time. anyways, what’s a week worth of waiting when jisoo has been waiting seven years for seokmin? 

 

in other news, mingyu seemed to have charmed his way into wonwoo’s heart. jisoo is happy to see his first boyfriend finally find everlong happiness as they’re soulmates. everything’s happening so fast and everyone’s growing up. he can’t believe that they were once teenagers together and now they’re growing up and getting jobs and getting married.

 

finally, the day of seokmin’s concert rolls around. jisoo can barely finish work, nerves and excitement making him jumpy and anxious all day. no one questions it, except for jun who’s never been too good at reading the situation. jisoo doesn’t mind, and gives him an long talk about what was happening in the evening. apparently all his friends are going, including hansol who seems to be a new addition to the group. 

 

he certainly does not change his outfit three times and doesn’t spend a few minutes deciding whether or not he should even go or not. in the end, it’s jeonghan who pushes him into the car and seungcheol who drives them off. “it’ll be good for you,” jeonghan promises and jisoo can feel the lump in his throat. why does this matter so much? they’ve known each other all their life; it should and will be fine.

 

he bring a bouquet of flowers, turning the paper around in his hands. when he sees hansol, he gets an encouraging smile. all his friends notice the jitters and they all seem to understand. jisoo’s ready to back out right now, ready to run.

 

seokmin gets on stage and jisoo is stunned. he looks amazing. his bright smile hasn’t changed one bit and jisoo sees the small mole on his face and almost faints. seokmin is so gorgeous now and jisoo can’t believe it.

 

he doesn’t think it can get any better until seokmin starts to sing. the song is nice and it sounds lovely but jisoo’s truly entranced by his voice. it starts velvety soft, whispery, almost scared. it builds and builds until seokmin is hitting all the right notes, voice powerful but not overwhelming. just enough for jisoo to realise how much he actually loves his dongsaeng. he feels like melting into his seat and just drifting away with seokmin’s voice. 

 

at the end of the performance, seokmin opens his eyes and stares straight at jisoo. he sings the last note softly and the look he’s giving jisoo is absolutely charming. jisoo wonders if he knows he’s actually looking at jisoo. it doesn’t matter.

 

soon, the concert finishes and jisoo rushes backstage to find seokmin. there’s a long overdue conversation that needs to happen, right now. he’s still clutching the bouquet as seokmin turns around. their eyes meet and a look of recognition flashes across seokmin’s face. 

 

no words are exchanged as jisoo rushes into his arms. seokmin enfulges jisoo in a tight hug, both of them just enjoying each other’s company quietly. seokmin has grown, grown so much and is much taller than jisoo now, but nothing matters anymore. they have each other again. seokmin pulls away slightly to stare at jisoo, and jisoo is shocked at the fondness in his eyes. 

 

“jisoo hyung,” he breathes lightly. jisoo nods, smiling so brightly. “oh jisoo hyung, it’s really you. do you know how much i’ve missed you?” he gets pulled in for another hug. “you changed so much, hyung, but you’re still my hyung.” jisoo has so much he wants to say. he wants to scold him for not keeping in touch, he wants to laugh because why didn’t they meet up earlier but all the words he had prepared have all vanished at the sight of his seokmin.

 

“seokmin, i missed you so much.” jisoo decides to say, running his hands down seokmin’s sides, wondering if it was actually him.

 

“god, i’ve missed you.” seokmin repeats. 

 

“i love you. i didn’t realise before, but i’ve missed you so much that i’ve noticed how empty i was without you. i love you and i want to be yours.” jisoo rushes, the words just falling from his mouth. seokmin only seems to beam brighter.

 

“i love you too, hyung. i’ve loved you for a long time. i should have never gone to new york in the first place, i should have stayed with you-”

 

jisoo cuts him off. “i’m glad you went to new york because i want you to pursue your dream.”

 

seokmin nods, not knowing what else to say. they stand there for a bit, just staring and trying to comprehend the situation, until jisoo decides he doesn’t care anymore and pulls seokmin in by his lapels. he isn’t really sure if he should regret it or not, but he kisses him softly on the lips and he couldn’t bring himself to care about the consequences. seokmin jolts in shock, but soon kisses back and jisoo feels like he’s floating. it’s soft and light and just pure passion and adoration. the bouquet lies on the floor, long forgotten.

 

once he pulls away, he smiles softly. this is everything he’s ever wanted, right in front of him. his beautiful jisoo.

 

they kiss again and somehow it escalates. it goes from soft kisses on the cheek and lips to more passionate kisses, more heated touches. at one point, seokmin pulls away and grins, lips cherry red and cheeks flushed. “take me home, hyung.” he asks, and there’s no way jisoo can say no. gently, gingerly, he pulls seokmin by the hand. they get into a car and leave, unable to stop staring at each other. jisoo almost runs straight through a red light because he was so distracted. 

 

they arrive, and seokmin pushes jisoo against the door and kisses him again. the years of bottled up emotion and passion are finally coming out. jisoo feels like someone just opened the gates and everything he’s ever felt for seokmin has come pouring out. seokmin kisses down his jaw and neck, leaving a red mark under his jawline. he picks jisoo up and carries him into a nearby bedroom, stumbling slightly. luckily, it’s jisoo’s bedroom and jisoo feels himself hit the bed. 

 

quickly, urgently, jisoo pulls his shirt over his head and starts unbuttoning seokmin’s shirt, reattaching their lips. when he finally finishes with the last button, he gets a shock. there, sitting on seokmin’s collarbone, is the exact mark jisoo has. the exact white orchid. jisoo feels like screaming in happiness but also grilling seokmin about not telling him, but his mind is astray and barely processes the mark. 

 

“you’re really mine, minnie.” jisoo pants, pulling his trousers off.

 

“i’m yours, hyung, and you’re mine.” seokmin replies.

 

soon they’re both naked and jisoo feels a burning fire inside of him. he’s missed seokmin, every single thing about seokmin and this just feels so right. seokmin surrounds him, enfluges him and jisoo is intoxicated. 

 

they make love and jisoo is so happy that it ended/began this way. he just wants to map out seokmin, know every curve and line of muscle and memorise everything about the way he moves. 

 

afterwards, they cuddle, sleepy and exhausted. jisoo snuggles into seokmin’s neck, unanswered questions hanging in the air. we’ll talk tomorrow, is seokmin’s promise and the last thing jisoo hears before he falls asleep.

 

jisoo never believed in soulmates. then he met seokmin, a bubbly, kind child and eventually fell in love. their story is far from being complete, but for jisoo, it’s enough for now. as long as he’s got seokmin, he’ll be alright.

 

{when the rest of the gang find out tomorrow morning, there’s shock and money being handed over. “you bet on us?” jisoo screeched, unable to believe his friends. jeonghan’s looking incredibly smug and soonyoung looks almost guilty. 

 

“nice hickey, hyung,” seungkwan sniggers. jisoo instantly turns red and slaps a hand over it. they crowd around him briefly, trying to pry jisoo’s hand off until jisoo whines loudly and glares at them, demanding answers to his previous question.

 

“yeah, multiple times,” mingyu pipes up. “it began in high school, betting whether or not you’d get together, and then the bet on whether or not seokmin was your soulmate. by the way jihoon, thanks for the 50 quid i won when i beat you in that one. it paid for my dinner for that night actually,” mingyu laughs loudly as jihoon scowls from the other side of the room.

 

“basically, these bets have been going on for ages. jeonghan won because he said you guys would get together after the show and hook up but i thought you guys had the decency to keep your hands to yourself,” soonyoung sighs, disappointed. jeonghan gloats, smiling widely. seokmin turns red and looks away.

 

“what can i say? I know my best friend,” he says, winking at soonyoung, who gags.

 

“apparently after that, there have been way more bets. like whether or not you’d keep in touch, if you’d ever hook up and when etc. i only heard about this recently, i’m innocent,” jun claims, holding his hands up.

 

seungkwan scoffs loudly. “yeah right, you got 150 off all of us saying that Jisoo hyung is a bottom. you’re right I think, from the way jisoo was limping.” minghao looks scandalized and jun looks away quickly. jisoo cannot believe his friends and flushes deeply.

 

chan interrupts. “i’m happy for you, hyungs,” he smiles. chan had been a recent addition to the group, being one of seokmin’s sound producers and coming with him to the recent concert.

 

somehow, the group breaks out in a series of loud arguments, including jihoon and mingyu ready to fight it out, soonyoung almost lunging at jeonghan and wonwoo getting angry at seungkwan for whatever seungkwan’s done now. 

 

jisoo grins. this was his group of dorky friends that he loved. he looked up at seokmin, who had his arm wrapped loosely around his waist, and grinned even larger. seokmin returned the grin and quickly pecked him on the lips.}

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. IM BACK hbd seokmin again??  
> this fic started as a comingofage!au and a soulmates!au but it really escalated  
> 2\. whooops i wrote loads  
> this was basically written all in one sitting btw (inspiration hit me like a truck and i let it take me wherever, meaning this was not planned beforehand)  
> 3\. please love seoksoo they make me so happy  
> 4\. comments and kudos are appreciated  
> 5\. i dont own seventeen. this is a work of fiction and is not true. if there are any correlations to another fic out there, it is completely accidental. this is my own plot and words.  
> 6\. byeeeeee  
> 7\. i might make this into a series? i could write a jeongcheol ver (theres some jeongcheol plot i could work with) and then a meanie ver i guess and maybe a version from seokmins pov?? it's an idea but i make no promises as i have lots of ideas in the makings...  
> 8\. stay tuned and maybe i'll post some more meanie fics soon who knows (nothing is written yet, just ideas still)  
> 9\. Also seventeen somehow ended up older than they actually are?? whoopsies   
> 10\. Why did I decide to do the American education system?? I live in the uk lol whoops  
> 11\. They’re in LA I think but Korea would have been more realistic but hey whoops there are holes in here let me be


End file.
